I've posted this to EnWorld as well, but thought I'd see what the Goodman forums had to offer.

I'm starting a new 4E campaign, and I'd like to start it off with some action.

The PCs are all from a neighboring kingdom (at war), and have been betrayed in their mission (all of which they'll have to uncover later). They discover that one of their own has also been captured by a local militia. They rush to find this scene:

The townsfolk have gathered (farmers, peasants, husbands, wives, children). Several are armed (pitchforks, clubs, rusty swords), others are unarmed, and a few carry weapons and torches. Some call for the "demon" to be burned (she is a tiefling...which in my campaign will be rare). The local militia is trying to decide what to do with her - keep her here, since she is a spy and should probably be interrogated (which may be difficult considering the mob), hang her from treason, or burn her for heresy (since they believe her to be a "demon").

What I'd like are some ideas on the powers for the mob. I'd like to mob to work as one creature. It will be vulnerable to anything with an area effect, since they are essentially minion status. The ability to push, pull, and grab will be a part of it as well.

Some uppity peasants may also set fire to the pile of wood and kindling that they've been piling up around her. I suspect the group will free her quickly, if that is the case. Once it is lit though, I could see using the mob to force her back into the flames for more damage.

Hmm, perhaps the angry peasant mob is made up of hard-core 1E fans upset that their cover art has been changed?

Seriously, when I read the title of this post I thought, "Oh boy, here comes another one..."

Thank God this is an in-game post!!

In real terms... interesting question... I'm not sure quite how to express it in 4E mechanics without thinking on it more, but some sort of flexible "attack scale" might be interesting -- at full strength, the mob can do substantial damage, but as it "takes damage" (which is to say, as the peasants comprising the mob get killed), its attack abilities decline somehow. I'll have to think on that some more for how to express it best in 4E...

This whole idea started because I was working on ideas for a great start to a new campaign. At the local RPG shop, I came across a clearance item - $5.00 pack of 8 armed peasants from Foundry (considering this pack normally goes for over $20, it was a deal). I asked if they had any others, and sure enough they did. So, I walked away with 3 packs (roughly 24 miniatures). Then, I went to Reaper and purchased the peasant children and the angry mob (3 figures with torches/pitchfork/rolling-pin...great stuff).

So, I have roughly 27 figures in my mob (not counting the children). This mob will cover a reasonably large portion of the map. If each of them got an attack, it certainly would drag combat out (and probably kill them, since the group is 2nd level).

This is the 1st encounter of a new campaign. I want this to be fast and tense...so I was thinking a mob/swarm would be great. If this fight drags out, it won't have the feel I'm looking for. They'll have to escape the mob, will run back to find their horses gone and henchman killed, and be chased into the forest on foot. Then, they'll have to navigate through enemy lands (with word of "spies" already being relayed ahead of them). Once they make it back home, that is where the mystery begins...who betrayed them and why.

A single "mob" creature just works better for me, and I won't have to roll a d20 30 times each round.

Hmm, perhaps the angry peasant mob is made up of hard-core 1E fans upset that their cover art has been changed?

Seriously, when I read the title of this post I thought, "Oh boy, here comes another one..."

Thank God this is an in-game post!!

Ha.

Well, in that case, how about a daily power called "You Changed My Cover Art!" as an immediate reaction?

goodmangames wrote:

In real terms... interesting question... I'm not sure quite how to express it in 4E mechanics without thinking on it more, but some sort of flexible "attack scale" might be interesting -- at full strength, the mob can do substantial damage, but as it "takes damage" (which is to say, as the peasants comprising the mob get killed), its attack abilities decline somehow. I'll have to think on that some more for how to express it best in 4E...

Actually, that was something that I was considering as well. I think that I'll put a lot of the nasty damage and powers up front. Once they get below bloodied, the mob will start to disperse. A few may stay...but most of them will leave.

Anyway, here are a few items that are on the table for consideration:

vulnerable to area effects

push, pull, and grab powers

split ability (I'm considering this one...it was one of the suggestions from the Enworld thread).

"It's Only a Kid!" - immediate interrupt, recharge, vs Will, turns a hit into a miss

I'm also thieving some powers from the kobold example in Dragon magazine (also mentioned and linked in the Enworld thread).

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